Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne addressing the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva on Tuesday (23 May 2017) said that the “Sri Lanka has achieved much progress in health care delivery due to cost-efficient use of resources and the coordinated use of its well ingrained primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities”.
Participants from a cross –regional group of countries meeting in Colombo at the 2nd Global Consultation on Migrant Health, adopted the ‘Colombo Statement’, the first ever stand-alone political statement on the subject of Migrant Health, during the High Level meeting of the Consultation held on 23rd February 2017, under the patronage of H.E. the President Maitrhipala Sirisena, and Chaired by Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senaratne The statement adopted, was negotiated in Geneva under the Chairmanship of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha with the representatives of the Permanents Missions in Geneva, following an the initial draft jointly developed by the IOM, WHO and the Government of Sri Lanka.
Delivering a keynote addressed at the World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting on ‘Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action’, in Geneva on Monday (6th February) Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne said that the Government of Sri Lanka has identified Rehabilitative Health Services as the third pillar of Sri Lanka’s health care delivery system, in addition to the earlier focus on curative and preventive health services. Minister Senaratne was invited by the WHO, together with Minister of Health of Botswana and Deputy Minister of Health of Lao People’s Democratic Republic to deliver the keynote addresses at the meeting, and share the experience of their country efforts in rehabilitation services.
Director General of the World Health Organsiation Dr. Margaret Chan commended the efforts made by the President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the former Minister of Health in advancing the health sector in Sri Lanka. The Director General made these remarks at a side –event on Non – Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which was attended by President Sirisena on the side – lines of his visit to the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 22nd September 2016.
The event which was co –hosted by the Government of Russia and the World Health Organisation(WHO) launched the Friends of the United –Nations Inter – Agency Task Force on prevention and control of NCDs initiative and provided an overview of the current work of the Task Force, showcasing action at country level, discuss on supporting Member States to achieve the NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals, and outlining a number of global joint programmes that now require funding in order to become operational.
21 July 2016 Today Sri Lanka received certification from WHO for having eliminated lymphatic filariasis - one of the oldest and most debilitating, neglected tropical diseases. WHO Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, presented the certificate to Minister of Health, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, at a ceremony in Colombo.
“The Ministry of Health has prioritized the elimination of this neglected tropical disease for several decades. We have now reached a major turning point, eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem," said Dr Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine.
Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne on Tuesday (24 May 2016) drew the attention of the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva to the recent floods and landslides in Sri Lanka that affected nearly half a million people and appreciated the expression of solidarity and support by countries, partners and the World Health Organization (WHO), to strengthen the timely health response to the affected people.
Addressing the Assembly under this years’ theme, “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development “, Minister Senaratne stated that “the Government of Sri Lanka is fully committed to the Sustainable Development Agenda and has already set up a multi sectoral Sustainable Development Secretariat to achieve this goal”. Drawing attention to the increasing influx of migration, Minister highlighted the need to pay attention to the health of migrants, irrespective of their status of migration. In this context, he recalled the offer made by the President of Sri Lanka to host the second Global Consultation on Health of Migrants in Sri Lanka October this year, and stated that Sri Lanka is envisaging a political declaration as the outcome of the Global Consultation to demonstrate the commitment to this important issue.
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